What If?
by Meme3264
Summary: What if Xena had made better choices? What if she never became evil? What if she didn't accept Alti's offer? Xena follows the sword without loosing herself to bloodlust. Hope you like it - More description written inside. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**_What If?_**

_Authors Note: Basically, it's a story of What If's?. What if Xena made better choices, i.e. she didn't side with Ares, she wasn't overcome with bloodlust, she didn't become a warlord, she accepted Lao Ma's teachings, she chose Cyane's offer rather than Alti's, etc. Hope you like it! _

_I am currently rewriting this story. I've just added a prologue and I'll be rewritting Chapter 1 in the coming weeks. The basic plotline of the story won't change, just be better written - hopefully. Thanks for your patience - please review!_

Prologue:

As she picked herself up off the ground, Xena swore to herself that she would always be there to help those less fortunate than herself, despite the consequences. Slowly, she dusted herself off before running over to the little boy she had tried to help.

"Are you alright, Talemon?" she asked, as she picked the little boy up off the ground, "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

The little boy shook his head, before burying his face in the relative comfort of her shoulder, "They hurt Ares," the boy sobbed out, gesturing to his ripped teddy bear. Xena looked closely at the teddy, seeing the large rip that stretched from the neck of the bear til the bottom of its belly.

"It'll be alright," Xena said with confidence, "Mother will be able to fix that. She can fix anything."

The little boy looked up from her shoulder with a hopeful smile plastered across his face.

"Really?"

Xena nodded and she and the little boy made their way towards Cyrene's Tavern at the end of the village.

"Mother," she called out as they entered the Tavern. Not seeing her Mother immediately, she called out again, "Mother, where are you?"

"Hush, Xena. I'm right here," Cyrene answered as she walked out from the kitchen, "Hello Talemon, what are you doing here?"

"Petrodes and the others were picking on him again for living in the orphanage. His teddy got ripped, but I told him you could fix it."

"Xena," the woman said sternly, "you shouldn't promise something you may not be able to deliver."

"But you can fix him, right?" Talemon broke into the conversation for the first time.

"Of course she can. Mother can mend anything, I told you that already," Xena spoke with all the impatience of a seven year old.

"Xena," the older woman said reproachfully, "Alright, let me see this bear." She held her hand out for the ripped toy and looked carefully over the damaged area, "I should be able to fix this."

Talemon thanked the older woman profusely before leaving for the orphanage. Cyrene looked patiently at her daughter, "What really happened?"

"Petrodes and his gang really were picking on him," Xena answered, adopting an innocent expression.

"And..."

"Torres and his friends were laughing at him. They were throwing rocks at him and he was crying. So I tripped Torres and fought Petrodes and told them they were mean."

"Xena," her mother started.

"I know you said no fighting but they were hurting Talemon. That's not right Mother," Xena stated stubbornly.

"I'm proud of you," Cyrene continued, as if her daughter hadn't interrupted.

"You are?"

"Yes. You stood up for someone who was in trouble. You have a noble heart, little one." Cyrene hugged her daughter close for a moment before she looked down again at the ripped bear. "Do you want to help me fix him?"

Xena nodded her head enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Xena and Lyceus ran across the field behind their Mother's Tavern, their hair flying loose and wild in the wind.<p>

"Come on, Lyceus," called Xena as she overtook him in the impromptu race, "You can do better."

Xena reached the shade of the large tree and bend over, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Lyceus arrived a few seconds later, panting and struggling for breath as he collapsed on the ground in front of his sister.

Seeing Lyceus collapse, Xena glanced over at him, concern plastered across her face.

"Are you alright?" she asked her brother, taking note of his flushed and sweaty face. Lyceus nodded tiredly, his breathing beginning to slow and his heart no longer racing.

When she was certain her brother was okay, Xena looked cautiously around the base of the tree. She had thought that there was someone there when they had approached the tree during their race. However, now she didn't see anybody, so she shrugged and turned to look back at her brother.

"Xena," called a young voice, "is that you?"

Xena whirled in the opposite direction while Lyceus started, he hadn't realised anyone was there. Looking around the other side of the base of the tree, Xena found Talemon and Flora holding sticks and had previously been engaged in what appeared to be a sword fight.

"What're you doing?" she asked amusedly.

"We're fighting," Talemon said enthusiastically, "So next time Petrodes tries to pick on us, we can beat him."

"You shouldn't be fighting," Lyceus broke into the conversation for the first time having regained his breath, "You could really hurt yourself."

"Come on Lyceus," Xena said to her brother, "Shouldn't they at least know how to defend themselves?"

"We can defend them."

"What if we're not there? You know Petrodes, he never plays fair."

"Oh, alright," Lyceus shrugged, "We'll teach them defence, that's it!"

"Thank you, thank you," the two younger children exclaimed as they wrapped their arms around both Xena and Lyceus.

Less than an hour later, the sticks lay forgotten on the ground as the children chased each other round in circles. The yells and screams of laughter travelled on the wind to the back window of the Tavern and Cyrene smiled as she watched and heard the children playing.

* * *

><p>As Xena finished the last stitch on the garment she was making, she heaved a powerful sigh of relief. Gathering up the large pile of garments, she slowly made her way from her room, careful not to drop anything. Reaching the dining area of the Tavern, Xena looked around for her family, spotting her Mother organising the food.<p>

"This is everything," Xena said as she lowered the large pile into a wicker basket on the counter, "Do you need me to do anything else?"

Cyrene shook her head. "Thanks Xena. We've just got to finish the cooking, but I know better than to ask you to help with that."

Xena laughed, "Yeah, I'd be more likely to ruin it than help. I'll check on Lyceus, see if he needs any help."

Xena kissed her Mother on the cheek before heading towards the back of the Tavern. Cyrene smiled, while Xena was possibly the most wild and challenging of her children, she had a pure heart and was always trying to help everyone.

This drive for the orphanage had been Xena's idea. When she had learned that the orphanage didn't have enough money to suitably sustain the children through the winter, she had organised a huge charity drive. Food, clothes, shoes, linen and anything else anyone could think of had been brought together for a massive donation to the orphanage.

Finishing what she was doing, Cyrene left the main room and headed toward the kitchen. Stopping to look out the window, she spotted Xena, Lyceus, Torres & Flora engaged in what appeared to be a fight. Xena had her hands on her hips and she spoke harshly to Torres, who appeared to be being thoroughly berated. Lyceus seemed to be attempting to hide a smile, while Flora looked anxiously between Xena and Torres.

Before Cyrene could even leave the boundaries of the kitchen, the argument was over. Lyceus and Torres were getting back to work, Lyceus with a huge smile on his face, while Xena took Flora by the hand and was headed back toward the Tavern.

Before Xena and Flora had even entered the kitchen, Cyrene was pelting them with questions.

"What was that all about? Why were you yelling at Torres? Why..." Cyrene was interrupted before she could go any further.

"Flora, would you check on Talemon for me? I want to make sure he's not having any trouble." Flora nodded and after adopting a proud look went on the mission that her 'big sister' Xena had given her.

"Torres wasn't helping. He was just lounging about watching Lyceus work. I told him that unless he was injured there was no excuse for why he wasn't helping Lyceus. He said that since it wasn't his idea, he shouldn't have to work for it. I said he was being selfish and if he didn't help I'd be cooking him dinner for the next month. He decided to help."

"Oh Xena," Cyrene chuckled, "You are a wonder."

Both Mother and daughter shared a laugh before heading back into the Tavern to help organise everything else.

_Please let me know what you think. I know I'm not a good writer, so take it easy on me please. Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_What If?_**

_Authors Note: Chapter Two will be posted as soon as I can finish it. Hope you like it! Please let me know what you think. Thanks!_

Chapter One:

Xena looked up from the dishes she was washing for her Mother and glanced out the window and sighed wistfully. It was beautiful outside, the sun was shining, a warm gentle breeze played upon the flowers, making it seem as though the plants were dancing with joy. Sighing once more, she shrugged her shoulders before returning to her task.

It was on days like today that Xena wished her Mother had returned from her trip for supplies. Usually, Xena accompanied Cyrene, but lately Cyrene had been palming off more and more responsibility onto Xena's shoulders. Xena was sure that her Mother was attempting to persuade her to stay in Amphipolis and run the Tavern. However, Xena had no plans to stay in Amphipolis her entire life. She wished to explore the world and learn about new and different cultures. She just had not found the right way to break that news to her Mother and only confirm her Mother's deepest fear.

A voice jolted Xena from her train of thought. It was rare when someone could startle Xena; she seemed to have a knack for knowing when someone or something was trying to sneak up on her. When she was five, Torres had been trying to scare Xena when suddenly Xena had surprised Torres so badly, he'd fallen down the stairs. Torres had never attempted to scare his younger sister again.

"Xena," Lyceus called again, "You alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Just lost in thought," Xena spied the sword clasped in his hands, "What are you doing?"

"I want to spar," Lyceus answered, "Come on Xena, just for a little bit."

Xena looked longingly out at the field beyond the kitchen. She desperately wanted to spar with Lyceus; she had missed their daily sparring sessions while she'd been running the Tavern for her Mother.

"Lyceus, I can't," Xena protested, "I've got to finish the washing up and then we have to get ready for the evening crowd."

"Please Xena," Lyceus begged his best friend, "We haven't sparred in ages and you're so much better than Torres. I think I'm actually getting worse practicing with him."

"Lyceus," Xena scolded her little brother playfully, "Oh, alright. You help me finish the washing up and I'll train with you."

"Thank you," Lyceus exclaimed, a bright smile lighting his face.

A little over an hour later, an exhausted and sweaty Lyceus entered the Tavern following a lightly perspiring and smiling Xena. They'd had a good session; Lyceus had finally managed to learn the move they'd been practicing before Cyrene had left Xena in charge.

"I'm going to go change," Lyceus called to his sister as he left her in the kitchen and made his way upstairs. Xena nodded in response. She quickly drank from a waterskin lying by the counter, before she too headed up the stairs.

Changing quickly, Xena was rushing back downstairs to begin sorting everything for the evening crowd, when she spotted her Mother in the corner talking to Hermia, the cook. Xena swiftly made her way to her Mother, placing a graceful kiss on the older woman's cheek. Cyrene smiled up at her daughter, before wrapping the girl in a hug.

"I'm proud of you, little one," Cyrene stated, laying her head on her daughter's shoulder, "Hermia says the Tavern's never done better."

"Oh," Xena said smiling, "So you're getting a performance report? Checking to see if I've been pulling my weight?"

"Oh, Xena," Cyrene chuckled, "Nothing like that. I just wanted to know what's been happening." Seeing that Mother and daughter wished to catch up, Hermia beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.

"You better watch out for Torres," Xena warned her Mother, "He's been in a foul mood ever since you left."

"What?" Cyrene asked, lifted her head from Xena's shoulder, "Why?"

"Nobody knows. When he found me down here after you'd left, he decided that his time was better spent outside and hasn't spoken to me since. Lyceus said that even his fighting's been off, and you know that means he's upset."

"I know," Cyrene nodded thoughtfully, "I'll see if I can find out what's wrong."

Xena nodded her head once more, before placing another kiss on her Mother's cheek, "I'd better get started with dinner."

Cyrene smiled, the bright smile lit up her face as she watched her only daughter proudly. If for nothing else, Cyrene could safely say that Xena was the most responsible and courageous child she had raised.

"We'll catch up more after the dinner rush," Cyrene called to her daughter just before she disappeared into the kitchen to get started on organising the meals. A bright smile was her daughter's only response.

* * *

><p>As the sun broke over the hills surrounding the valley of Amphipolis, Cyrene was abruptly awoken by the sound of someone falling and an exclamation of pain. Bolting from the bed, Cyrene rushed down the stairs and outside, spotting her daughter in the distance lying on the ground, the wind clearly knocked out of her.<p>

Xena groaned; she had been trying this move for over a month and she had yet to master it. She had mastered the flip using a staff, trying to understand the rhythm and movement required, but now she was attempting the flip without the staff. Her first attempt had clearly been an abject failure; based on the fact she was now lying on the ground attempting to catch her breath.

Hearing her daughter groan and seeing Xena begin to move, Cyrene breathed a sigh of relief. Her daughter would be the death of her; scaring her witless was one of Xena's specialties. For example; when Xena was nine she had dived into the lake to rescue a younger village girl who had become caught in the weeds. Xena had remained underwater for such a long period; Cyrene had feared her daughter had drowned in her rescue attempt. When Xena broke the surface of the water, carrying the child with her, Cyrene had wrapped Xena in a tight hug and refused to let go. Now it seemed her daughter had just invented new ways of scaring her mother.

Xena dusted her outfit off, before readying herself for another attempt. Taking a deep breath and hoping for success, Xena carefully ran the distance she'd set out, before launching off her right foot and into the flip. With a thud she landed unevenly on both feet but managed to keep her balance. Filled with joy at her first successful attempt, Xena let out a trill that startled a bird in a nearby tree as well as her mother.

Xena looked up at the sun, calculating the time she had before everyone would be awake, she decided that there was time for one more try. Readying herself once more, Xena made the flip and once again landed on both feet. While her landing was still unbalanced, it was better than the previous attempt. Gathering the staff she had brought out with her for practice, Xena turned and was startled to see her mother watching her from the Tavern.

Slowly she made her way over to the woman standing by the Tavern. Knowing that her mother was rarely up this early, Xena wondered what had her mother out of bed.

"Why are you up, Mother?" Xena asked as she approached the woman. Xena could now see that her mother hadn't even had time to put on her robe before going outside.

"Somebody scared me out of my bed," Cyrene answered, barely suppressing a smile.

Xena made an apologetic face, "Sorry," she responded, though her tone did not convey her apology.

Cyrene smiled at her daughter; wrapping an arm around Xena's waist, they made their way indoors. Barely in the door, Cyrene and Xena were met by a clearly irritated and sleepy Lyceus.

"Why are you making such a racket?" Lyceus asked, sleep not hiding his irritation.

Xena and Cyrene shared a smile before they apologised in unison. Lyceus glared at his mother and sister, noting, even in his sleepy state, that neither were the least bit apologetic. Rubbing his eyes to wake himself further, Lyceus's brain processed both Xena and their mother's attire.

"You practiced without me, didn't you?" Lyceus asked Xena before turning to Cyrene and stating, "She woke you, didn't she?"

Cyrene did not have the opportunity to respond before Xena answered her brother's accusatory question.

"I wasn't practicing with a sword, Lyceus. I've been trying to master this flip. I told you about it and you weren't interested, remember?" Xena replied, irritated by her brother's attitude.

"So," Lyceus responded, "You still could have woken me. I might've changed my mind."

"Did you?" Xena question her brother.

"No."

"Then why are we arguing about this?" Xena stated, exasperatedly.

"Stop it, you two," Cyrene interrupted the argument, "Next time, sort this out before you go outside, especially this early."

Both children looked to their Mother with amused expressions before they headed upstairs to dress.

"They're going to be the death of me one day," Cyrene muttered to herself, as she watched her two youngest children leave.

Upstairs, Lyceus stopped Xena just as she was about to enter her room. "Will you teach me the flip after you've mastered it?"

"You know I will," Xena responded, "I teach you everything."

"I know," Lyceus replied, but he sounded slightly dejected.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just," Lyceus paused, trying to find the right words, "You're so much better at the warrior arts than I am. I think you were born to be a warrior, not a house wife."

"I love it Lyceus," Xena said, "More than you do. It's really the only think I can say I'm brilliant at. You know I'm hopeless at the things women are supposed to be good at. You've seen me cook."

Lyceus let out a quiet laugh but quietened quickly, "But Xena, I'm supposed to be better at this than you. I'm the one who took the lessons in the village. I'm the one who Torres passed on Father's lessons to. I'm the ..."

"Lyceus, being a warrior is not the only thing you have. You don't have to be a warrior. You can talk to people; inspire them. That is such a rare skill. If you want to be successful you have to be able to relate and connect to people, you can do that, so easily that you take it for granted," Xena embraced her brother gently, "You have more skills than you know. Give yourself more credit."

"Thanks Xena," Lyceus said, returning the hug briefly before departing for his room.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky as Xena and Lyceus parried back and forth; a drop of sweat made its way down Xena's back as she struggled to block Lyceus's attack. Successfully halting his attack, Xena parried and saw an opening. Lyceus had over extended his lunge, and Xena swept his legs from under him and Lyceus crashed to the ground with a dull thud.<p>

As Lyceus groaned and attempted to get his breath back, they heard an angry shout coming from their mother's Tavern at the end of the field. Offering a hand to pull her brother up, Xena and Lyceus headed back toward the Tavern, where they encountered Torres standing just inside the kitchen, head poked around the corner into the main room next door.

"What's going on?" Xena asked as they approached. Torres jumped; he had been so intrigued by the conversations taking place in the other room, he had failed to notice his younger siblings enter.

"There's a warlord coming," Torres answered, "They're arguing over what we should do. Mother sent me in here so I wouldn't 'have to worry'. Like that's going to help," He added sarcastically.

"Torres," Xena said reproachfully.

"What have they decided?" Lyceus asked.

"I don't know," Torres replied, "You interrupted me."

With a glare in both Xena and Lyceus's direction, Torres turned back to listen to what was being decided by the villagers. Xena and Lyceus copied the movement, their three bodies crowding the kitchen doorway.

"We have to give Cortese everything he wants," one villager stated.

"Yeah," another agreed, "Then he'll have no reason to attack us."

"We can't just surrender," another villager argued, "What are we going to live off of if we give them everything?"

"No," another villager disagreed, "Our safest choice is surrender. We might have hard times ahead, but at least we'll still be alive."

"We could always flee," another villager entered the conversation, "If he sees there's no one here, he'll leave and we can return."

"I'm not leaving my home to these savages," Cyrene argued, "Who knows what condition they'll be in when we return. If we return," she added uncertainly.

The debate continued in this manner for a few more minutes until Xena, having heard enough and fed up with the attitudes of the elders, walked calmly into the main room.

"We could always fight."

Every head in the room turned sharply to face Xena, shock plastered on their faces. Silence reigned supreme for a minute while the villagers, Cyrene and Xena's siblings digested her statement. Then chaos erupted. Some arguing that it was an impossible idea, other saying that it might be their best chance at survival, yet others insisting that fleeing or surrendering was still the best option.

Xena stood still while the chaos surrounded her. Slowly, Cyrene made her way to her daughter.

"Xena," her mother began, "What were you thinking? You know not to interrupt village meetings. You shouldn't even be here."

"But Mother," Xena interrupted, "This is our village too. We have a right to decide if we want to fight or not."

"Fighting isn't the answer Xena. It won't solve this problem."

"It'll help. If we successfully defeat Cortese, other warlords will think twice before raiding Amphipolis."

"And if we don't, we'll still have lost everything as well as sacrificing a lot of people."

"If we don't fight, he'll still come after us. He's not going to be satisfied if we just surrender. They want blood, Mother."

"And how do you know this?" Cyrene asked sceptically.

"I overheard Petrodes talking to Talmedeus before he left. He said that you have to have a lust for killing, revenge and power. If you don't have that you'll be easily defeated by your enemies."

"Xena," Cyrene looked scandalised for a moment, "Regardless, I don't think fighting is the answer here."

"So what is Mother? Letting them ransack our village, kill our friends and not do a thing about it."

"Of course not, Xena. But..." Cyrene was interrupted by a well-timed remark from Lyceus.

"I think Xena's right. If we don't fight we'll be slaughtered. And I'd rather be remembered for fighting a warlord than rolling over and accepting defeat."

"Lyceus, stay out of this," Cyrene scolded her youngest child, "This is none of your concern."

"Yes it is Mother. Since we have to live with what you decide, I'd like to be considered in this decision."

"We should flee," Torres broke into their discussion for the first time, "The tunnels beneath us lead straight to the hills. We have the best chance at survival if we hide in the forest and wait for them to leave."

"We can't flee, Torres," Xena said, "They'll just hunt us down and kill us."

"Not if we hide. Besides, we'll die if we fight. This way we've got a chance."

"How are you going to hide an entire village in the forest and make sure that Cortese doesn't find any of us?"

"I don't know yet, but we could hide in the cave, near the ridge."

"Torres, that cave can barely fit fifty people. What about the rest of them?" Xena asked, seeing Torres baffled look, she stated her opinion again.

"We'll die if we don't fight. We have to try." With that, Xena turned and made her way toward the staircase. Standing a few steps from the bottom, she gave a loud trill. Startled, the occupants of the room ceased their arguing and turned to the figure on the stairs.

Looking around the room, Xena began speaking, "We have three choices. We fight and have decent chance at survival, we surrender and have no chance of survival or we flee and have little chance of survival. We need to decide now!"

Xena looked around the room once more and seeing the blank faces on the majority of the villagers, she continued, "Raise your hands if you are in favour of fleeing." Only a small group of individuals raised their hands, Torres included.

"Raise your hands if you are in favour of surrendering." Again, a number of hands were raised; almost double the number in favour of fleeing.

"Raise your hands if you are in favour of fighting for our village." The hands that rose into the air with this option easily outnumbered either of the other choices.

"Okay," Xena said firmly, "We fight."

_Please let me know what you think. I apologise for the bad writing. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 3

**What If?**

Chapter Two:

As Xena looked at the villagers before her completing their training, she was pleased to see a noticeable improvement in their skills. It had been almost a week since the meeting in Cyrene's Tavern and Xena, with the help of Lyceus, had been working hard; training the men and a few women in the fighting staff, physical combat, bow and arrow, sword fighting and battle tactics. Though few of the villagers had learned both the fighting staff and sword fighting, every villager in the training regime had learned physical combat and battle tactics. Both Xena and her brother felt that these two skills were more important than any other. Initially, a few of the men had complained about learning from two teenagers, however, when Xena and Lyceus had each beaten three opponents easily, the complaints had ceased.

Seeing the sun high in the sky, Xena and Lyceus shared a look and Xena let out a trill to catch the attention of the training villagers. "Okay," she said, once she was certain they had all stopped sparring, "We'll take a break for lunch. When we come back, I want each of your units prepared with ideas on how to protect this village. We have to sort out our defences, roles and battle techniques."

The men exchanged glances, keen to show their leaders how much they had learned. Though many of the villagers were quite a few years older, they looked at both Xena and Lyceus as their leaders. What they lacked in years, they both made up for in skill, intelligence and perseverance. Sharing another look with her younger brother, Xena gave a nod; and sensing their dismissal, the would-be warriors cleared the field.

"Xena," Lyceus said, "Mother wants to talk to us."

Nodding to her brother, Xena motioned for him to head inside. Giving his sister a questioning look, Lyceus stayed put.

"Go on, Lyceus," Xena told her brother, "I'll be in, in a bit."

Still confused, Lyceus nodded to his sister, before he headed in the direction of the Tavern. When Xena was certain her brother was far enough away, she bent down on one knee and looked toward the heavens.

"I don't know if anyone's listening, but please keep this village safe. These people are kind and generous; they've never harmed anyone. I'll do whatever I can to protect them," Xena sighed, and looked down for a moment, hesitating, she raised her face to the heavens once more, "If you can't help our village, please protect my brother. He deserves the chance to live his life and know who he is."

A lone tear made its way down Xena's cheek. Brushing the tear aside, Xena raised herself from the ground and headed in the direction of the Tavern. However, before she could reach the Tavern, Torres voice stopped her.

"Xena," he called, "What are you doing? You can't lead the villagers into battle; you'll all die. You have to stop this. It's ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous, Torres," Xena argued, "We have to fight for our village and protect what we have. We can't just let murdering animals like Cortese walk all over us."

"Yes we can," Torres replied, his voice rising in volume, "We should do whatever we can to protect ourselves."

"I agree. That's why we're training the villagers. This way is our best chance to protect ourselves."

"No! Our best chance is to flee. If we stay here, we'll all be killed, Xena."

"If we flee, we'll all be killed anyway. Cortese isn't going to let us go, Torres, he'll hunt us down like animals for the slaughter," Xena approached her brother gently, "I know you're scared Torres," she began but Torres interrupted her.

"I'm not scared Xena," Torres asserted angrily, "I'm trying to protect you. If you fight this battle, you'll die."

"I'm not afraid to die, Torres. I'd rather die defending this village and these people than flee and leave them to the mercy of someone like Cortese."

"And what about Lyceus? Are you prepared for him to die as well?"

"I'd give my life to protect Lyceus," Xena answered Torres accusatory question angrily, "But he and I both believe that we have the best chance if we fight Cortese."

"So you're prepared to let our brother die, so you can prove you're not afraid?" Torres stated incredulously.

"No. I'm prepared to risk my life to save my family and my friends. What makes you think I have any right to deny Lyceus the same?"

"Fine," Torres remarked furiously, "Do what you want. I'm not going to stick around to see you get yourself or Lyceus killed."

As Torres marched away angrily, Xena's shoulders sagged. Though she truly believed in what she was doing, Torres had voiced her greatest fear; Lyceus' death. Xena had spun her mind in every direction, attempting to find a way for Lyceus to be safe during the battle, but she'd come up empty. Short of tying up her brother and hitching him to the tree in the field, Lyceus was certain to fight in this battle.

Shaking her head and drawing in a deep breath, Xena made her way inside her mother's Tavern, only to be confronted by an unhappy and irritated Cyrene.

"Xena," Cyrene began, "You can't honestly be thinking of staying here during the battle."

"Mother," Xena sighed, "I've just had this argument with Torres."

"Well, then you should know that you can't stay here. It's too dangerous."

"Mother, I can't leave. I'm the one whose idea it was to fight and I'm the one in charge of the army. If I leave, how can I expect anyone else to stay and fight?"

"That's beside the point, Xena. You and Lyceus are too young to die in a futile battle."

"It's not futile. It's the only chance we have at keeping what is ours, of fighting for what we have."

"What about your lives? If you don't care about yourself, at least care about your brother."

"Mother," Xena snapped; she'd had enough of this. First, she'd had to defend herself to her brother and now she was defending herself against her Mother. She was already under the strain of leading the army, worrying about leading the villagers; her friends, into battle and lastly she was terrified of losing her brother in this battle, "If there was any way to keep Lyceus safe I'd do it, but short of tying him up, he's going to fight in this battle. There's nothing you or I can do about that."

"He wouldn't fight if you wouldn't."

A voice, coming from behind the women, broke into the conversation. "It's my choice Mother," Lyceus said, entering the room, "Not yours, not Xena's and not Torres's. Mine. I have the right to choose how I live my life."

"But Lyceus, you wouldn't be living it, you'd be sacrificing it. These are trained men; they're not going to be impressed by your sparring sessions. You might as well walk into this battle unarmed."

"I'm good at this Mother. I have confidence in my abilities and so does Xena. We've trained for this, maybe we're not professional fighters but I'd put us against the best Cortese has."

Cyrene turned on Xena, "You told him he could fight in this battle?" she asked incredulously.

"Like I told Torres; I'm prepared to risk my life to save my family and my friends. What makes you think I have any right to deny Lyceus the same?"

With that, Xena strode past both her brother, who had a look of shock and awe on his face, and her mother, who looked furious, as she headed up the stairs. As she continued, she could hear both her mother and brother begin to argue in earnest. Entering her bedroom and closing the door behind her, Xena collapsed on the bed. She was exhausted; between the training she and Lyceus were conducting, worrying about the villagers and most especially her brother and lastly, arguing with her family about her and Lyceus right to fight for what they believed in, she was emotionally drained.

Taking a deep breath, Xena slowly opened her eyes and was startled to see Lyceus standing above her. Though his face was taught with tension, his eyes displayed a trust and faith that contradicted his facial expression.

"Thank you for standing up for me to Torres and Mother," Lyceus started, "I know you must be afraid too."

Xena smiled at her brother and motioned for him to join her on the bed. "I'm terrified, Lyceus. I'm so scared that you're going to get hurt that I can barely think straight. I know I should have more faith in you, but I can't seem to shake this feeling of dread."

"Xena, I'll be fine," Lyceus started.

"You don't know that Lyceus," Xena interrupted.

"Maybe not," Lyceus shrugged, "but I'm willing to fight to the death for what we believe in. Besides, we've got you. You may not be a professional warrior, but I'm sure you could probably outsmart and outfight Cortese entire army."

Xena looked at her brother, his strong conviction and faith in her had boosted her spirits somewhat. While she smiled gently at her brother before wrapping him in a hug, Xena still couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She knew something bad was coming, she just didn't know what.

* * *

><p>Finishing their lunch in silence and tolerating the glares from both Torres and their mother, Xena and Lyceus headed back out to the practice field, glad to be free from the stifling air that blanketed the Tavern. Walking across the field, Xena couldn't help but notice the beauty and tranquillity of the field despite the upcoming battle. It was a shame that all of this beautiful, clean and fertile soil would soon be marred by the heat, gore and hideousness of battle.<p>

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lyceus remarked from beside his sister. He had noticed her saddened expression and known exactly what she was thinking. After all, he was thinking the same thing.

"Yeah, it is," Xena agreed, "I can't help but think that this battle is going to change this place and us forever."

"It might," Lyceus concurred, nodding his head. He looked out at the expansive field before them, "but it'll be worth it."

"Yes, it will," Xena replied before murmuring under her breath, "it has to be."

They continued their journey in silence, simply enjoying each other's comfort and company. Passing by the racks stacked in the field, Xena glanced toward the river, catching sight of the oak tree where she, Lyceus, Flora and a few of the other children used to play. Stopping abruptly, Xena stared wistfully at the tree and was overtaken by a memory of a more innocent time.

_"Come here Lyceus," Xena called to her little brother excitedly, "I want to climb the tree again."_

_Lyceus hurried over to his sister, eager to show her that he could now also climb the large tree. _

_"Wait for me," came a little voice. A small black haired child wearing a neat frock tried to race over to them on bare feet. Seeing that they weren't slowing down, she called again._

_"Oh, Flora," Xena said, slowing her pace and smiling as the little girl caught up to them, "You know I'd never leave you behind."_

_"I know." Flora smiled widely, proudly displaying the gap from losing her first tooth. _

_Reaching the tree, Xena scrambled up and edged out on the branch before hooking her legs on the branch as she swung herself to hang upside down from the tree branch. Her hair floated gently in the breeze, the very tips tickling Flora's nose making the little girl giggle as she looked at her idol hanging from the branch. _

_Seeing Lyceus also ensconced in the tree, Flora looked up longingly at the branches and Xena and Lyceus silently begging them to help her. If only she could also climb the tree, but her limbs were far too short to allow her such a delight. _

_As Xena reached a hand down to Flora, she said "You gotta have faith, you got to." Slowly Flora reached a hand up to grasp Xena's hand. She was careful, this wasn't the first time Xena had pulled a stunt like this; reaching out to help Flora before snatching her hand away, leaving Flora filled with bitter disappointment. _

_As Flora's hand was almost able grasp Xena's, Xena abruptly pulled her hand away, and Flora was yet again filled with disappointment. Her eyes filling with tears, she looked at her 'big sister'. Why was she so mean? _

_Seeing Flora's expression, Xena felt sorry for the little girl, but knew that this was one lesson that had to be taught. Flora couldn't expect to have everything handed to her on a platter; she had to work and earn what she had. _

"Xena," Lyceus called, noting that his sister had stopped. Getting no response, Lyceus called again. Xena shook her head, clearing away the innocent memory and she and Lyceus continued across the field.

Reaching the practice area, Xena could see all the warriors that she and her brother had trained, already assembled and awaiting their leaders to arrive. Making her way to the front of the group to begin listening to the ideas from the villagers, Xena noted the majority of her soldiers had come prepared with ideas on how to protect their village. Xena and Lyceus had already discussed battle strategies before this meeting. They felt that if nothing of use came from this gathering, at least they would have a somewhat reasonable plan and therefore a better chance of survival.

"We're going to start by taking ideas for Cortese possible attack plans. We know that there are three entrances into the main area of the village." The soldiers nodded at these words, closely following what their leader was saying, "And we have to assume that Cortese knows about the tunnels beneath the village also."

"Why?" One of the men shouted from the back. At this distance, Xena couldn't be sure who it was, but in raising the question, a lot of other soldiers had begun to think about the answer as well.

"Because," Xena began but was cut off by another soldier, Darius, who had proven to be an eager and able warrior.

"It's better to assume he knows more than he does, rather than not enough. That way if he does know about it we're prepared and if he doesn't then we've got something extra up our sleeves."

Xena nodded in agreement with Darius. Darius had mastered physical combat and sword fighting exceptionally quickly. Now it seemed he was also becoming a proficient strategist. Seeing that the question had been suitably addressed, Xena continued.

"If you were planning to attack the village, what would you do?" Xena addressed a young warrior in the first section of the warriors.

"I..I," the young man named Lykus stuttered, feeling very nervous now all the attention was focused on him, "I think I'd come through the main entrance and then..."

"Why?" Lyceus interrupted.

"Because it's the most direct route," Lykus replied, looking even more nervous now he'd been questioned.

"Then it would presumably be the most heavily defended, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Lykus answered slowly, still uncertain and extremely nervous.

"So why would you march all your soldiers into the most heavily defended area? Why wouldn't you use some of the less direct routes which would then be less defended?" Xena addressed the questions to the group at large, seeing that Lykus had become even more anxious and would most likely not have anything more to contribute to this aspect of the battle plan.

"You wouldn't," Darius responded. He sounded confident in his answer and looked certain of what he was about to say, "You would split your army into sections to march from different directions, some coming through the pass, some through the mountains on the northern border and some from the south where the river is. You'd want to cut the village off so they couldn't retreat."

Xena had listened carefully to what Darius had said. He, and the rest of his unit, had clearly given this a lot of thought and had thoroughly prepared for this discussion. Still, Xena was surprised and very impressed, and judging from Lyceus expression, he was also.

"Yes," Xena said, while Lyceus nodded his head, "If we prepare for an assault from multiple angles, we can be sure to have an advantage that we can use. Also, we can use the tunnels beneath the city to help with an assault; we can further press our advantage."

"We could also lay traps and install other tricks in the tunnels to delay or even stop any of Cortese army from using the tunnels to attack us without us knowing about it," Lyceus added.

The soldiers nodded in understanding as Xena and Lyceus elaborated on Darius's points. Both Xena and Lyceus looked at the soldiers to identify any who were having trouble understanding the reasons behind such an approach. Seeing none, Xena confirmed Lyceus tactic and began to move the discussion forward once more.

"Now that we understand the most likely points of assault, we first need to organise a watch so we have a clearer understanding of exactly when Cortese is going to attack. At the moment, all we know is that it should be in three days. Next we need to decide what traps we're going to use and where we're going to use them. We also need to decide which units will be in charge of the defence for all the possible attacks."

As Xena, Lyceus and the other soldiers hammered out their battle plans; they seemed ignorant concerning the invisible presence of the God of War.

* * *

><p><em><em>Authors Note: <em>__As you can see, I don't know anything about battle plans, techniques, preparation, etc. so I haven't gone into much detail but hopefully what I have put in is realistic. Please let me know what you think! I really appreciate all of your feedback. The next chapter will be up as soon as I finish it, I promise. Thanks!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_What If?_**

Chapter Three:

As the battle raged, blood, deafening and deadly, Xena struck down her enemies swiftly and with minimal fuss. She was surprised by the relative ease of the battle; she'd assumed that Cortese army was far more skilled, but they seemed to go for brute force in their attacks rather than subtlety and skill. As such, Xena found that she could easily out manoeuvre her opponents, be it one or more at the same time, without opening herself up to an attack.

As she knocked another soldier from Cortese army out, she looked around at the villagers fighting beside her. She spotted Darius dealing effectively with two of Cortese men, knocking out one who promptly crashed into the other, knocking out the second man. Turning, she spotted Lyceus fighting what appeared to be an extremely skilled warrior. He seemed to be having trouble holding back the attack, when suddenly Lyceus parried a blow and knocked the soldier out with his own sword. Smiling at his handiwork, he spotted his sister watching him and beamed proudly in her direction.

Xena nodded her head, smiling back at her younger brother. So far everything had gone well. It appeared that Cortese didn't know about the tunnels under the village, so they'd been able to use the tactic to reinforce their position and corner Cortese army. Furthermore, from what she'd seen many of the villagers had been able to fight well against Cortese army, with only a few needing treatment from a healer. She hoped with all her heart that there weren't any deaths but her brain told her that was unlikely. However, the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach had not passed and she seemed to be plagued with the feeling of being watched when she couldn't see anyone.

At first she'd thought it was someone spying on her making the battle plans with the army, but the feeling had continued into the night when she'd practiced her fighting with Lyceus. When she awoke the next morning, she hadn't felt the presence, so she'd assumed that she had just been nervous and made a mistake. However, when she felt the presence manifest during the battle, she was certain that something strange was going on. During a brief break, when she was re-evaluating her battle plans, she'd managed to identify where the presence was coming from, but she hadn't seen anything. She'd shaken the feeling off, but now standing in the middle of the battle, the feeling was stronger than ever.

Distracted by her thoughts, Xena barely noticed one of Cortese soldiers charging in her direction. Spotting the sword coming at her, she barely dodged the blade and was left off balance, trying to regain her footing and dodge another attack. Struggling to meet her opponents attack, she clumsily parried the blow, sending her sprawling in the dirt. Seeing that the soldier had her pinned, he raised his sword for the final blow, a grin on his face, when suddenly a handful of dirt was thrown in his face, temporarily blinding him. The soldier, struggling to clear the dirt from his eyes, was quickly dealt a blow by the hilt of Xena's sword and rendered unconscious.

Returning to the rest of the battle, Xena fought her way through the ranks of the soldiers with even more ferocity. She vowed to herself to never be so distracted during a battle again and her determination to find out whatever was watching her had added fuel to the already burning fire within her, adding additional force to her blows. Xena decided to ignore the irritating presence until this battle was over and she could properly devote the time and attention the problem required.

After having fought a few more men, the strong and awful feeling in Xena's stomach suddenly increased dramatically. Sensing something was wrong, she looked around the battle field that was their village and attempted to spot her brother. Not seeing him in the nearby vicinity, Xena hurried over to Darius, knocked the man he was fighting out with a blow to the head and immediately questioned him.

"Have you seen Lyceus?" she asked the slightly older man. He shook his head quickly, but seeing that Xena wanted more information he volunteered, "I saw him heading towards the Tavern. I think he was worried that it would be attacked."

Xena, knowing the Tavern was working as an emergency hospice during the battle, thanked Darius quickly before racing in the direction of the Tavern. It was just like her brother to be worried about others more than him, but she couldn't help thinking that this was exactly what the feeling in her stomach was about.

As she rounded the last corner and saw the Tavern in the distance ahead of her, she was dismayed to see the battle taking place so near to the injured and wounded. The soldiers that she'd stationed to protect the Tavern were slowly being over powered and the other soldiers who had joined in the fight to protect the injured were beginning to show tiredness. Xena spotted her brother on the edge of the battle, fiercely fighting three opponents and while his skill was vastly better than theirs, fatigue was beginning to set in making his reactions slower and his moves not as precise.

Before she could so much as alert her brother of her presence, one of the men found an opening in Lyceus defence and easily slid the sword past, burying it deeply into his chest. Lyceus eyes widened in shock, and he fell to his knees, blood spilling from his mouth, over his chin and onto the dry dusty soul beneath. He balanced precariously on his knees for a moment before he fell, face forward onto ground, and a small plume of dust rose at the thud.

"NO!" Xena screamed as she raced over to her brother, "NO!"

Reaching the three men, and immediately spotting the look of pride on the face of the monster who murdered her brother, Xena attacked the man fiercely, pushing all of her energy into her attack. She swiftly gained the upper hand and as she was about to destroy her opponent, she was attacked by the other two men who her brother had been battling. Fuelled by her grief, Xena was able to reverse the attack and the three men were rapidly on the defensive, struggling to hold back her attacks. Seeing that she had the upper hand and too overcome by grief to think rationally, Xena slashed at her adversaries and in a few seconds, the three men were dead before her.

Hands sticky and slick with blood, Xena leant over the fallen form of her brother. Gently she rolled her brother over and slid his torso gently onto her knees. Looking down at her brother, the blood on his lips and chin having smeared slightly over his left cheek when he'd fallen, contrasted sharply with the pale, ashen and almost colourless appearance of the rest of his face.

Rocking her brother gently in her arms; Xena said hollowly, "The times change people and people change the times." It had been their principle; the one rule that always encouraged and bolstered them when they fought with the other kids. They'd had come up with the guiding principle after Xena had rescued Talemon from Petrodes and the other kids. It was their way of acknowledging that they could make a difference in other people's lives, that they could help people. It was their truth.

Picking Lyceus up, Xena stood with her brother cradled in her arms, and looked blankly around at the soldiers of both sides still fighting. It seemed that now she had released her anger and avenged her brother's death, she could no longer process the battle was still taking place. Slowly, Xena began to walk toward the Tavern. Walking in the midst of the battling men, it seemed as if time itself had stood still while she held her brother and cradled his broken form gently.

Perhaps realising that this was not a good time to approach their leader, her soldiers didn't attempt to make any contact with her, while Cortese men seemed to be scared of the woman who had so easily dispatched a large number of them but now seemed to be an empty vessel with no emotion or control whose only purpose appeared to be carrying the obviously lifeless body of a young boy through the middle of the battle and apparently didn't care if she died in the process.

Xena made her way through the battle, uninterrupted, and barely aware of the glances being cast in her direction. As she slowly reached the area immediately in front of the Tavern, she was unaware that there had been a shift in the battle. Cortese men were now being more easily overpowered, her soldiers moved by the tragic loss of one of their leaders and the visible breakdown of their other leader. As she reached the entrance to the Tavern, Xena paused on the doorstep, unwilling and temporarily unable to take the step inside to confront her mother with one of her overwhelming and, up until today, unfounded fears.

Standing on the doorstep, Xena was overwhelmed with memories of her brother; fishing, sparring, doing chores, laughing. It was as if her mind was trying to deal with the burden of guilt she carried in her heart at her brother's death. She saw each memory as if she was reliving it, so bright, so clear, and so vivid were the memories that Xena temporarily forgot where she was. When she returned and the very present weight of her deceased younger sibling registered in her mind, the warnings from both Torres and Cyrene rang loudly in her ears, as if they were being spoken right in front of her again, complete with anger, betrayal and blame in both of their voices.

Xena wasn't sure how long she stood on the doorstep lost in memories and surrounded by the warnings of her family, but when she pushed against the door with her back and vaguely registered the sound of Cortese men retreating, and entered the Tavern where she'd grown up her entire life, she was sure that the guilt in her heart and boundless grief in her soul had only just started.

Xena made her way through the Tavern, worriedly searching for her mother. She wasn't sure if she wanted to find the woman and bring to life her worst fear. Reaching the back, Xena made her way into the small room off the main dining area and laid her brother carefully on the table there. She placed Lyceus sword across his chest and positioned his hands to clasp the sword between them. Spotting a bowl and towel on the bench in the corner, Xena gently dunked the corner of the towel in the water and lifted it out before squeezing tightly. Gently wiping away the blood on Lyceus mouth and chin, and briefly wiping across his face to remove the dirt and dust from the battle, Xena looked down at the youthful face of her younger brother. Tenderly she brushed Lyceus hair from his face, before quickly placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Lyceus, my brother," she whispered, as she rested warm forehead against his cool cheek, "I'm so sorry, Lyceus. I'm so sorry."

A few tears travelled down Xena's cheeks, but she swiftly brushed them aside. "I don't know how I'm going to be strong enough without you. You always knew what was right and you always did what was right, even when it hurt. I promise you, Lyceus, I'll honour your memory." Lovingly, she placed another kiss on her deceased brother's cheek, before she turned and left the room in search of her mother.

Entering into the main room once more, Xena looked around at the men lying in the makeshift beds and the women tending to their wounded fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. It was a sorrowful picture, one that only served to further burden Xena's heart. This was her doing; fighting had been her idea and although she still believed it was the right course of action, her heart ached for the people that had been hurt or killed; just like Lyceus.

Walking through the maze of the injured, Xena spotted her mother in the far corner tending to Lykus, who had a large gash on his arm and a bruise on his cheek, which already very swollen. Xena slowly made her way over, tending to the wounded and helping some of the men along the way. She knew it was futile, but somehow by tending to the wounded soldiers, she felt less of a loss and less guilt in her heart. However, when she looked up and saw Cyrene wipe a quick tear from her eye, she knew she couldn't postpone breaking the terrible news to her mother any longer. As she made the last few steps to close the distance to her mother, the guilt in her heart increased and her breathing became more laboured as she struggled to contain her emotions.

"Mother," she began as she reached the pair, but before she could continue she was cut off when Cyrene wrapped her in a bear hug and squeezed as tight as she could. Inhaling her mother's soft and comforting scent, as well as relishing the reassuring calm of her mother's embrace, Xena felt part of herself relax and let go of a little bit of the guilt she carried in her heart.

"You're alright," Cyrene said, the relief in her voice evident, before her expression and voice turned anxious "Is Lyceus alright? Where is he?" she asked, looking around the Tavern and not spotting her son.

"Mother," Xena said sympathetically, but was once again interrupted by Cyrene.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

Xena looked at the expression on her mother's face. It was a mixture of shock, grief, denial and unmistakable and uninhibited fury. Nodding her head in the direction of Lyceus cooling body, Xena began weaving her way through the injured men once more, her mother following close behind. Nearing the back room, Xena couldn't help but slow her pace and only her mother's insistent pushing forced her to continue. However, as they reached the entrance to the room and Xena continued inside to stand beside her brother's body and gently place a hand on Lyceus' hand, Cyrene stopped at the doorway and looked at her youngest child's remains, her expression shocked and sorrowful.

"Lyceus," she said, tears clouding her voice and beginning to fill her eyes. Slowly Cyrene entered the room, almost as if by walking slowly and gently she could somehow make the image before her false.

"I did all I could," Xena started. She wanted her mother to understand that Lyceus death and her actions had not been in vain. They had turned back Cortese, they hadn't lost large numbers of men and they had kept their village. The lives that had been lost were because of Cortese men and because her friends; her villagers had believed in the town and their way of life and thought it worth protecting. Their deaths meant something; their sacrifice wasn't in vain. She wanted her mother to understand that they'd accomplished what they'd fought for; that Lyceus life hadn't been wasted.

"Yes," Cyrene's voice was hard, filled with anger and tinged with hatred when she addressed her daughter. It was clear that Cyrene wasn't interested in what her daughter had to say. "You did all you could. You raised the army, you talked him into fighting," Cyrene looked back at her deceased child and gently laid a hand on her son's chest as the tears once more invaded her voice, "These may as well be wounds from your sword."

Bringing her hand swiftly from her son's torso, Cyrene slapped her daughter sharply across the cheek. The anger, loss, shock and betrayal of losing a child had only just begun to sink in, but Cyrene needed someone to blame and knowing that her daughter was there and convolutedly had played a part in Lyceus' death, Cyrene firmly placed all the anger, hatred and blame onto Xena's young shoulders, not caring in the slightest if she was being reasonable or even accurate in the placement of blame.

Hating and blaming her daughter and knowing the words would cut deeply, Cyrene said angrily, "He was the only thing I had left and you took him from me."

Shock, betrayal and hurt clouded Xena's features for a moment, before she buried them under a mask of impenetrability. Turning her back on her now weeping mother and her deceased brother, she couldn't help but feel that the special bond she had shared with her mother since she was a toddler had been broken forever.

Taking once final glance at her brother, Xena left the room, a battle waging in her heart. Part of her wanted to rage at Cyrene's treatment of her and another part wanted just wanted to comfort and forgive the woman for her behaviour. The promise that she'd made to Lyceus barely fifteen minutes ago, which now seemed a lifetime ago, flowed through her mind. She affirmed the promise in her mind and added that whatever happened she would always try to remember the wisdom and forgiveness that had so essentially been part of Lyceus.

* * *

><p><em>Authors Note: As I said in the previous chapter's authors note, I don't know anything about battles or battle plans, etc. so please take that into account. <em>_Please let me know what you think! I really appreciate all of your feedback. Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5

**_What If?_**

Chapter Four:

Xena buried her hands in the soft sand that covered the embankment and fought to hold back a sob. She was no longer part of a family; she'd lost the comfort, belonging and peacefulness that came from knowing that someone always cared about her wellbeing. Her younger brother was dead, by what may as well have been her hand if her mother was to be believed, her older brother had run away, too scared to even think about the rest of his family or their village and her mother hated her and blamed her for her younger brother's death, as her older brother would surely do when he found out. All in all, Xena concluded, while the battle had been a success, she had lost everything that was important to her.

Choking back another sob, Xena suddenly felt a tingle go up her spine and knew that she was being watched by the same invisible presence that had been watching her for the past week. Not in the mood for games, Xena got to her feet quickly and determinedly, while she attempted to narrow down the location of the presence.

Focusing upon the area between the two main sections of bush, approximately ten metres away, Xena called out irritably.

"I know you're there so you might as well show yourself."

Almost immediately a thin silver and blue light flickered where Xena was looking and the body of a muscular and handsome man appeared. He wore a leather outfit, tight pants, a textured jacket and jewelled gauntlets. He had a dark, thick head of hair, that hung loosely and elegantly around his shoulders and he had a small beard and moustache that surrounded his mouth neatly while giving off the aura of recklessness and wildness. He had dark brown eyes that seemed to hold all the contempt, anger and passion of the world in them.

"Why are you here?" Xena asked. She had noticed his appearance, his attire and the way he carried himself and deduced who he was. While she was impressed, she was more concerned with the loss of her brother and her mother's treatment of her than she was with the god before her.

"I am Ares," Ares spoke as if Xena hadn't interrupted his magnificent entrance and hadn't asked a question. He had been watching this woman for the past week and even periodically before that. Her father had been a loyal warrior for Ares and had promised the God of War a son to continue to serve him. Ares had waited for the son to come to him, and when no son had presented themselves, Ares had sought to punish the son for his betrayal. However, when he had arrived to see Atrius two sons and his daughter he had immediately become enthralled with Xena. She had become a drug to him; a necessary part of continuing to be. He had watched her, admired her and when it was clear that she had felt his presence, he had been filled with an unrecognisable emotion. When she had started to prepare the village for defence against Cortese, he had been even more certain that one way or another, this woman was meant to be his.

"God of War, I know," Xena continued, her tone uninterested and slightly irritated and impatient "I know who you are; I just don't know why you're here?"

"I want you to ride with me."

Letting the statement hang in the air for a moment, Xena considered what Ares had just asked of her. While it was an opportunity few got, only three in history that she knew of, she was also aware that if she accepted, her life would no longer be hers to live. It would belong to Ares and be his to control. And while he might allow certain privileges, he definitely wouldn't allow her to keep her promise to her brother and strive to fight for the people.

"Why?"

Xena's tone and body language indicated that while she was interested in what Ares had to say, she wasn't very interested in the God of War's offer, and while her eyes had briefly widened when he'd first appeared, it now seemed as if the impressiveness and grandeur of his entrance had gone and had been replaced with wariness and suspicion.

Seeing that Xena was losing interest and that this meeting was not going according to his plan, Ares decided to adopt another persuasive strategy; seduction. Walking toward Xena, with a charming and beguiling smile on his face, he drew closer until he was beside her. Now near enough to touch, smell and taste the beauty before him, he ran his hand down her back and across her side until it rested gently upon her hip and she was firmly held by his arm. Leaning down to close the gap between them, Ares rested his chin on her shoulder before gently easing his tongue out to seductively lick at the throbbing pulse point in Xena's neck.

"I've seen you in battle," Ares began, slowly licking Xena's neck and making his way toward her ear, "I've seen your tactics," he continued, now gently nibbling at the base of her earlobe, "You're intelligent," he pulled the lobe between his teeth, "you outwit your opponents," he bit her ear tenderly, "you think ahead," he ran his tongue soothingly over the bite, "you watch their moves," he gently sucked on the lobe again, "you anticipate their strategies," he let the lobe go with a small pop, "I want that."

Xena's breath had caught in her throat while Ares continued to seduce her and while part of her couldn't help but think his offer and treatment was fantastic, another part of her realised that this wasn't the life she wanted and it most definitely wouldn't be the life she owed her brother. While she enjoyed Ares treatment of her and part of her responded, she knew she was being manipulated and that thought broke through the haze Ares was weaving around her.

"No thanks." Xena's answer was short and to the point and had the added advantage of making Ares loosen his grip and forget his line of seduction, allowing Xena to escape his grasp and stand on equal footing opposite the God.

"What?" Ares looked confused and his tone conveyed undisguised disbelief.

"No," Xena stated clearly, glaring at the surprised God of War, "Thank you for the opportunity but I'm not interested."

With that Xena turned to leave and attempted to walk away from the God of War but found that she was blocked by the solid form of Ares. He moved in front of her, blocking her only exit and before she could do more than take in his presence, he had once again pulled her into his arms. Nuzzling her neck intimately, he once again attempted to seduce Xena.

"I want someone I can count on to lead my army," Ares gently began to suck on her neck, "to bring peace through force," he swirled his tongue over the lightly pinked flesh, "to be the architect of a new world," he bit tenderly on the same spot, "my new world," he blew gently over the now very pink area and Xena felt a shiver rush through her, "our new world," he kissed her neck lingeringly "where force of arms keeps the peace and one great warrior queen rules."

Almost overcome by the second sequence of seduction, Xena's head rested against Ares shoulder, her eyes closed, her knees weak and her body languid. Part of her yearned for him to continue, he was so very talented, but another part screamed at her that this was just manipulation and she had to pull herself together. Snapping out of the aroused haze, Xena's head shot up and her eyes opened. Pulling herself out of Ares grasp, she once again turned to face him.

"No."

With that, Xena turned once more and walked toward the trees surrounding the lake. Behind her, still standing close to the lake, a shocked Ares remained, too stunned by his lack of success to think clearly. His initial manipulations, in the style, manner and look of his first appearance had failed to persuade the warrior, and as they had occasionally, although rarely, failed in the past, Ares was not too shocked. However, the fact that his two attempts at seduction had failed was unheard of. Every woman that he ever set his eyes on and seduced he had had. No woman had ever resisted him.

Watching Xena leave the lake area, and in a last ditch effort to get what he wanted, he called after her.

"I can give you the world. I can give you everything."

Turning back to face the God of War, Xena said simply and with a little pity in her voice, "You can't give me what you don't have."

Without waiting for a reaction, Xena continued away from the lake and away from Ares. Unknown to Xena, Ares smiled wickedly as he disappeared, a new plan to bring Xena to him already forming in his mind. It would take a while, but that didn't matter. He was Ares, God of War; he always got what he wanted.

As Xena reached the trees, she looked back at the lake one final time, taking notice that Ares had disappeared and that the gentle breeze playing on the leaves was creating ripples in the water of the lake. It reflected how she felt. The lake had once been like her; calm, collected, but with an abundance of wildlife below the surface. Now, the lake still contained the same wildlife as before, but its surface was rough, angry and it had been forever changed; just like she was.

Startled out of her musings by the noise of a large group of people headed in her direction, Xena turned to see who comprised the group of people making the noise. From where she was standing, she could see through the bushes to the track leading to the lake, but whoever was coming would not be able to see her until too late, giving her a chance to hide if necessary.

Through the bushes Xena could make out the faces of Darius and Lykus as well as some of the other villagers who had fought in the battle earlier. Some of the men walked with bandages, and others had yet to be treated by a healer, as evidenced by the still oozing wounds that she could clearly see through the bushes.

Deciding to find out why the villagers from her army had come out here, Xena hid in one of Lyceus favourite hiding spots, just off to the right of the track, beside a large tree and behind a dense bush. It was a good hiding spot, as the tree was large enough to cover someone from one side and the dense shrub provided adequate cover from two other angles. The only way someone could find someone hiding there was to either know they were there, have the person reveal themselves or walk through the dense bush on the right side of the path.

As the men from her army reached the end of the path and looked onto the lake, one of them, Xena couldn't see who, remarked, "I don't see her."

"I'm sure she's here," another villager replied and Xena recognised the voice as that of Darius, one of the more able bodied and strategically inclined men, "We just have to find her."

"How do you know she's here?" the voice from earlier asked, Xena recognised the voice as belonging to Lykus, who while an able bodied warrior was a hopeless strategist, "She might have left already."

"No," Darius disagreed, "She'd want to remember her brother before leaving. And I doubt she'd leave before the funeral pyre, even if she wasn't permitted to attend."

Lykus nodded and continued to walk further along the beach, scouring the area for any clothing or other clues the warrior may have left. The other villagers from her army, simply stood at the end of the path, most looking lost and sombre, others exhausted and a few defeated. Darius, seeing the Lykus was scouring further around the lake, looked around the area where they were standing. He had the distinct feeling that Xena would be close by; close enough to hear what they were saying and far enough to escape if need be. Looking intently at the area just before him, he noted a few sets of footprints; one set in particular leading to the shrubbery on the right side of the track. Following the footprints to where the grass began, he looked closely at the bushes before him. While he couldn't see Xena, he distinctly thought that he had found her hiding place.

Feeling somewhat stupid, yet confident in his tracking skills, Darius spoke quietly to the shrub in front of him.

"Xena," he whispered. Darius waited for a reply, but hearing nothing, he spoke again, a little louder, and again received only silence in response. Feeling like a complete idiot, Darius turned around, concluding that he had made an error in tracking Xena's location.

"What do you want?"

Xena had heard Darius argument in favour of her still being at the lake and had to admit that she was both proud and annoyed. Proud, because one of her men had been able to accurately deduce her plan of action and motivations, and annoyed because the men had intruded on her time to mourn Lyceus passing. First she had been interrupted by Ares and now by her army.

When she watched Lykus wondering further along the lake, she'd suppressed a chuckle with great difficulty. There was nothing on the other side of the lake, except dense bushland that one could easily get lost in and the riverbank. There was no reason for her to have gone that way, and it was simply idiocy on Lykus part not to notice that.

However, when Xena had seen Darius had note the footprints that lead to her hiding place, her respect for him had increased dramatically and she'd had to still herself. When she'd heard him speak to her, knowing that he couldn't have seen her and therefore couldn't know that she was there, she'd felt even more respect for the humble man before her. As much as she wanted to address him, she hadn't felt ready to put on the mask of warrior and leader and forgo the chance of truly processing Lyceus death.

As Darius had turned to go back to the men, obviously concluding that he'd made an error, Xena had seen past him and glimpsed the faces of the men in her army. The defeated, lost and exhausted looks on their faces had tugged at her heart. As much as she had grieved for her brother, she still had a mission, and she still had the comfort of knowing that she was going to fulfil Lyceus wishes. It was more than what the men before her had and she knew it. Therefore, she'd abandoned her place of hiding and stepped out to address the men.

Almost immediately after she had spoken, gasps in various orders ran around the group of men, closely followed by exclamations of surprise. They'd been taken unawares, none having suspected that Xena had been this close to the group. Lykus had run back to the group, hearing the commotion from where he'd been along the lake. Darius, who had spun around at the noise, and seen Xena in the spot where he'd previously been, let out a sigh that showed he was not surprised at her actions, and smiled lightly.

"We want to go with you," Darius addressed Xena for the group, "when you leave town."

"You should stay with your families," Xena responded. She was overwhelmed, if all these men really wanted to join her and become an army for the people of Greece, she would be eternally grateful for their help in completing her brothers mission, "They'll need you to get through this."

"Xena," Darius spoke again, he seemed to be the mouth piece for the group, "All of us realise that we'll never really be safe from murders such as Cortese, especially not if we sit back and do nothing about it. We want to protect people, make sure that men like Cortese know they don't have free reign anymore. People are going to fight for what they believe in. We want to be a part of the change that you and Lyceus started."

Moved by Darius speech, Xena felt her eyes moisten, "You already are. You fought to protect Amphipolis from Cortese, you've already made a huge difference to the lives of people," Xena told the men gently and passionately.

"We want to keep doing it," one of the men from the back of the army called.

"We've saved Amphipolis, but Cortese is just going to attack another village in our place. We have to make sure that he pays for what he's done."

"Besides, we have to prove that it wasn't a one off. If we don't keep fighting they'll come back."

More and more of the men from the army were calling out reasons for continuing the army and leaving with Xena, until the cacophony of noise was so loud that all that could be heard was the roar of a jumble of voices speaking at top volume. Knowing that the men before her weren't going to take 'no' for an answer and both grateful and humbled that they wished to honour their fallen comrades and Lyceus memory by continuing to fight for the people, Xena decided to adopt the men before her as her army.

Resolutely Xena adopted the mask of leader and looked determinedly at the men before her, all still shouting reasons for joining her. Placing two fingers in her mouth, Xena whistled loudly, effectively silencing the group faster than she'd expected. The men stopped talking immediately and looked hopefully at their leader.

"Okay," Xena said, nodding her head, "We'll be the army that fights for the good of the people."

The men before her gave a brief cheer, but seeing that their leader was not yet finished, they quickly silenced themselves.

"However, we can't leave Amphipolis unprotected. If the warlords find out where we're from, they'll attack our homes for revenge. We need to leave part of the army here, so they can defend our village from any warlords."

The men nodded, although a few had expressions of surprise on their faces. They had clearly thought that once they'd won the battle, no one would ever attempt to attack Amphipolis again. Taking note of these men, Xena knew they'd make good soldiers but would never be leaders, strategists or trackers.

Beginning to pace, Xena looked across at the lake, the ripples that had been so evident earlier, seemed to relax and flow more gently across the lake, barely creating a wrinkle in the smooth calmness of the lake's surface. Once again, the lake seemed to reflect Xena's mood, she too was feeling more at peace and was calmer than she had been earlier.

"Alright," Xena "We'll split the army into three sections. The first section will stay in Amphipolis and protect our village from any warlords. You'll be under the command of Darius," knowing that she'd have to explain her decisions for command leaders, Xena continued, "He's one of the best strategists and fighters that I've seen and you know that he was invaluable when we were designing our defence." The men nodded, and Darius smiled proudly, pleased at the praise and acknowledgement of his skills and the increase of status that came with his new rank.

"The second section will be comprised of messengers, trackers, cooks, blacksmiths, healers, etc. You'll be under the command of Linus, who you all know is an excellent healer," the majority of the men looked over at Linus thankfully, many of them having had their battle wounds treated by him, "The last section will be the main army, under my command," Xena knew she needed a second in command, but she wasn't ready to replace Lyceus and therefore left the position unmentioned. She could see clearly that the men understood her reasons for not naming a second in command.

"You'll need to separate into the three sections before tomorrow afternoon. I trust that you will all be able to sort yourselves into the appropriate groups. If you are uncertain, approach either Darius, or Linus for help and if that fails, myself and I'll place you in the appropriate group."

As the men began to organise themselves into groups, looking awfully like school children lining up for playtime, Xena looked back at the lake one final time and swore that she'd do everything within her power, and a bit beyond, to live up to the memory of Lyceus and honour his legacy. Her brother, she was determined, would not have died in vain, he would stand for something; he would be the catalyst for change.

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><p><em>Authors Note: As I said in the two previous chapter's authors note, I don't know anything about battles or battle plans, etc. so please take that into account. I really hope my portrayal of Ares &amp; Xena is okay and Xena's reaction to the men wanting to come with her is realistic. It took me a really long time to figure out how to write Xena's reaction in particular. <em>_Please let me know what you think! I really appreciate all of your feedback. Thanks!_


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